Go to a specific date

Explore

The Public Inspection page
on FederalRegister.gov
offers a preview of documents scheduled to appear in the next day's
Federal Register issue. The Public Inspection page may also
include documents scheduled for later issues, at the request
of the issuing agency.

Document Details

Enhanced Content - Table of Contents

This tables of contents is a navigational tool, processed from the
headings within the legal text of Federal Register documents.
This repetition of headings to form internal navigation links
has no substantive legal effect.

Enhanced Content - Sharing

Enhanced Content - Document Print View

Enhanced Content - Document Print View

Enhanced Content - Document Tools

These tools are designed to help you understand the official document
better and aid in comparing the online edition to the print edition.

These markup elements allow the user to see how the document follows the
Document Drafting Handbook
that agencies use to create their documents. These can be useful
for better understanding how a document is structured but
are not part of the published document itself.

Enhanced Content - Developer Tools

Official Content

Official Content

Public Inspection

This PDF is
the current document as it appeared on Public Inspection on
12/19/2014 at 08:45 am.

If you are using public inspection listings for legal research, you
should verify the contents of the documents against a final, official
edition of the Federal Register. Only official editions of the
Federal Register provide legal notice to the public and judicial notice
to the courts under 44 U.S.C. 1503 & 1507.
Learn more here.

Public Inspection

Published Document

This document has been published in the Federal Register. Use the PDF linked in the document sidebar for the official electronic format.

Start Preamble

Key Dates

Application Deadline: February 28, 2015, for continuing students

Application Deadline: March 28, 2015, for new students

Application Review: May 11-22, 2015

Continuation Award Notification Deadline: June 5, 2015

New Award Notification Deadline: July 2, 2015

Award Start Date: August 1, 2015

Acceptance/Decline of Awards Deadline: August 14, 2015

I. Funding Opportunity Description

The Indian Health Service (IHS) is committed to encouraging American Indians and Alaska Natives to enter the health professions and to assuring the availability of Indian health professionals to serve Indians. The IHS is committed to the recruitment of students for the following programs:

The Indian Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship authorized by Section 103 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Public Law 94-437 (1976), as amended (IHCIA), codified at 25 U.S.C. 1613(b)(1).

The Indian Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship authorized by Section 103 of the IHCIA, codified at 25 U.S.C. 1613(b)(2).

The Indian Health Professions Scholarship authorized by Section 104 of the IHCIA, codified at 25 U.S.C. 1613a.

Full-time and part-time scholarships will be funded for each of the three scholarship programs.

The scholarship award selections and funding are subject to availability of funds appropriated for the Scholarship Program.

II. Award Information

Type of Award

Scholarship.

Estimated Funds Available

An estimated $11.3 million will be available for fiscal year (FY) 2015 awards. The IHS Scholarship Program (IHSSP) anticipates, but cannot guarantee, due to possible funding changes, student scholarship selections from any or all of the approved disciplines in the Preparatory, Pre-graduate or Health Professions Scholarship Programs for the scholarship period 2015-2016. Due to the rising cost of education and the decreasing number of scholars who can be funded by the IHSSP, the IHSSP has changed the funding policy for Preparatory and Pre-graduate Scholarship awards and reallocated a greater percentage of its funding in an effort to increase the number of Health Professions Scholarships, and inherently the number of service-obligated scholars, to better meet the health care needs of the IHS and its Tribal and Urban Indian health care system partners.

Anticipated Number of Awards

Approximately 40 awards will be made under the Health Professions Preparatory and Pre-graduate Scholarship Programs for Indians. The awards are for ten months in duration, with an additional two months for approved summer school requests, and Start Printed Page 76337will cover both tuition and fees and other related costs (ORC). The average award to a full-time student is approximately $34,924.70. An estimated 233 awards will be made under the Indian Health Professions Scholarship Program. The awards are for 12 months in duration and will cover both tuition and fees and ORC. The average award to a full-time student is approximately $43,105.80. In FY 2015, an estimated $10,034,760 is available for Health Professions awards, and an estimated $1,302,494 is available for Preparatory and Pre-graduate awards.

Project Period

The project period for the IHS Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship stipend support, tuition, fees and ORC is limited to two years for full-time students and the part-time equivalent of two years, not to exceed four years for part-time students. The project period for the Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship stipend support, tuition, fees and ORC is limited to four years for full-time students and the part-time equivalent of four years, not to exceed eight years for part-time students. The IHS Indian Health Professions Scholarship provides stipend support, tuition, fees, and ORC and is limited to four years for full-time students and the part-time equivalent of four years, not to exceed eight years for part-time students.

III. Eligibility Information

This is a limited competition announcement. New and continuation scholarship awards are limited to “Indians” as defined at 25 U.S.C. Section 1603(13). Note: The definition of “Indians” for Section 103 Preparatory and Pre-graduate scholarships is broader than the definition of “Indians” for the Section 104 Health Professions scholarship, as specified below. Continuation awards are non-competitive.

1. Eligibility

The Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship awards are made to American Indians (Federally recognized Tribal members, including those from Tribes terminated since 1940, first and second degree descendants of Federally recognized Tribal members, State recognized Tribal members and first and second degree descendants of State recognized Tribal members), or Eskimo, Aleut and other Alaska Natives who:

Have successfully completed high school education or high school equivalency; and

Have been accepted for enrollment in a compensatory, pre-professional general education course or curriculum.

The Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship awards are made to American Indians (Federally recognized Tribal members, including those from Tribes terminated since 1940, first and second degree descendants of Tribal members, and State recognized Tribal members, first and second degree descendants of Tribal members), or Eskimo, Aleut and other Alaska Natives who:

Have successfully completed high school education or high school equivalency; and

Have been accepted for enrollment or are enrolled in an accredited pre-graduate program leading to a baccalaureate degree in pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-optometry or pre-podiatry.

The Indian Health Professions Scholarship may be awarded only to an individual who is a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, Eskimo, Aleut or other Alaska Native as provided by Section 1603(13) of the IHCIA. Membership in a Tribe recognized only by a State does not meet this statutory requirement. To receive an Indian Health Professions Scholarship, an otherwise eligible individual must be enrolled in an appropriately accredited school and pursuing a course of study in a health profession as defined by Section 1603(10) of the IHCIA.

2. Cost Sharing/Matching

The Scholarship Program does not require matching funds or cost sharing to participate in the competitive grant process.

3. Benefits From State, Local, Tribal and Other Federal Sources

Awardees of the Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship, Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship, or Health Professions Scholarship, who accept outside funding from other scholarship, grant and fee waiver programs, will have these monies applied to their student account tuition and fees charges at the college or university they are attending, before the IHS Scholarship Program will pay any of the remaining balance, unless said outside scholarship, grant or fee waiver award letter specifically excludes use for tuition and fees. These outside funding sources must be reported on the student's invoicing documents submitted by the college or university they are attending. Student loans and Veterans Administration (VA)/GI Bill Benefits accepted by Health Professions Scholarship recipients will have no effect on the IHSSP payment made to their college or university.

IV. Application Submission Information

1. Electronic Application System and Application Handbook Instructions and Forms

2. Content and Form Submission

Each applicant will be responsible for entering their basic applicant account information online, in addition to submitting a completed, original signature hard copy and one copy set of application documents, in accordance with the IHS Scholarship Program Application Handbook instructions, to the: IHS Scholarship Program Branch Office, 801 Thompson Avenue, TMP 450A, Rockville, MD 20852. Applicants must initiate an application through the online portal or their application will be considered incomplete. For more information on how to use the online portal, go to www.ihs.gov/​scholarship. The portal will be open on December 19, 2014. The application will be considered complete if the following documents (original and one copy) are included:

Completed and signed online Application Checklist.

Completed, printed, and signed IHSSP online application form for new or continuation student.

Current Letter of Acceptance from College/University or Proof of Application to a College/University or Health Professions Program.

One set of official transcripts for all colleges/universities attended (or high school transcripts or Certificate of Completion of Home School Program or General Education Diploma (GED) for applicants who have not taken college courses).

Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA): Calculated by the applicant.

Applicant's Documents for Indian Eligibility.

A. If you are a member of a Federally recognized Tribe or Alaska Native (recognized by the Secretary of the Interior), provide evidence of membership such as:

(1) Certification of Tribal enrollment by the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Certification: Form 4432—Category A or D, (whichever is applicable); or

(2) In the absence of BIA certification, documentation that you meet requirements of Tribal membership as prescribed by the charter, articles of incorporation or other legal instrument of the Tribe and have been officially designated as a Tribal member as evidenced by an accompanying document signed by an authorized Tribal official, i.e., Tribal enrollment card showing enrollment number; or

(3) Other evidence of Tribal membership satisfactory to the Secretary of the Interior.

Note:

If you meet the criteria of Form 4432-Category B or C, you are eligible only for the Preparatory or Pre-graduate Scholarships, which have eligibility criteria as follows in Section B

B. For Preparatory or Pre-graduate Scholarships, only: If you are a member of a Tribe terminated since 1940 or a State recognized Tribe and first or second degree descendant, provide official documentation that you meet the requirements of Tribal membership as prescribed by the charter, articles of incorporation or other legal instrument of the Tribe and have been officially designated as a Tribal member as evidenced by an accompanying document signed by an authorized Tribal official; or other evidence, satisfactory to the Secretary of the Interior, that you are a member of the Tribe. In addition, if the terminated or State recognized Tribe of which you are Start Printed Page 76339a member is not on a list of such Tribes published by the Secretary of the Interior in the Federal Register, you must submit an official signed document that the Tribe has been terminated since 1940 or is recognized by the State in which the Tribe is located in accordance with the law of that State.

C. For Preparatory or Pre-graduate Scholarships, only: If you are not a Tribal member, but are a natural child or grandchild of a Tribal member you must submit: (1) Evidence of that fact, e.g., your birth certificate and/or your parent's/grandparent's birth/death certificate showing the name of the Tribal member; and (2) evidence of your parent's or grandparent's Tribal membership in accordance with paragraphs A and B. The relationship to the Tribal member must be clearly documented. Failure to submit the required documentation will result in the application not being accepted for review.

Two Faculty/Employer Evaluations with original signature.

Online Narratives—Reasons for Requesting the Scholarship.

Delinquent Debt Form with original signature.

Course Curriculum Verification with original signature.

Curriculum for Major.

3. Submission Dates

Application Receipt Date: The online continuation application submission deadline for continuation applicants is Saturday, February 28, 2015. Required application support documents will be accepted through Saturday, March 28, 2015.

Application Receipt Date: New applicants must print and sign their online application and checklist and submit it with their supporting documents by the postal deadline of Saturday, March 28, 2015. No supporting documents will be accepted after this date, except final Letters of Acceptance, which must be submitted no later than Saturday, May 30, 2015.

Applications and supporting documents (original and one copy) shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they are received by the IHSSP Branch Office, postmarked on or before the deadline date. Applicants should request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service. Private metered postmarks will not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing and the application will not be considered for funding.

New and continuation applicants may check the status of their application receipt and processing by logging into their online account at www.ihs.gov/​scholarship. Applications received with postmarks after the announced deadline date will not be considered for funding.

4. Intergovernmental Review

Executive Order 12372 requiring intergovernmental review is not applicable to this program.

5. Funding Restrictions

No more than 5% of available funds will be used for part-time scholarships this fiscal year. Students are considered part-time if they are enrolled for a minimum of six hours of instruction and are not considered in full-time status by their college/university. Documentation must be received from part-time applicants that their school and course curriculum allows less than full-time status. Both part-time and full-time scholarship awards will be made in accordance with the authorizing statutes at 25 U.S.C. 1613 and 1613a and the regulations at 42 CFR Subpart J, Subdivisions J-3, J-4, and J-8 and this information will be published in all IHSSP Application and Student Handbooks as they pertain to the IHSSP.

6. Other Submissions Requirements

New and continuation applicants are responsible for using the online application system. See section 3. Submission Dates for application deadlines.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Applications will be reviewed and scored with the following criteria.

Academic Performance (40 points):

Applicants are rated according to their academic performance as evidenced by transcripts and faculty evaluations. In cases where a particular applicant's school has a policy not to rank students academically, faculty members are asked to provide a personal judgment of the applicant's achievement. Preparatory, Pre-graduate and Health Professions applicants with a cumulative GPA below 2.0 are not eligible for award.

Faculty/Employer Recommendations (30 points):

Applicants are rated according to evaluations by faculty members, current and/or former employers and Tribal officials regarding the applicant's potential in the chosen health related professions.

Stated Reasons for Asking for the Scholarship and Stated Career Goals Related to the Needs of the IHS (30 points):

Applicants must provide a brief written explanation of reasons for asking for the scholarship and of their career goals. Applicants are considered for scholarship awards based on their desired career goals and how these goals relate to current Indian health personnel needs.

The applicant's narrative will be judged on how well it is written and its content.

Applications for each health career category are reviewed and ranked separately.

Applicants who are closest to graduation or completion of training are awarded first. For example, senior and junior applicants under the Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship receive funding before freshmen and sophomores.

Priority Categories

The following is a list of health professions that will be considered for funding in each scholarship program in FY 2015.

L. Nurse: Associate and Bachelor Degrees and advanced degrees in Psychiatry, Geriatric, Women's Health, Pediatric Nursing, Midwifery, Nurse Anesthetist, and Nurse Practitioner. Start Printed Page 76340(Priority consideration will be given to Registered Nurses employed by the IHS; in a program conducted under a contract or compact entered into under the Indian Self-Determination Act and Education Assistance Act (Pub. L. 93-638) and its amendments; or in a program assisted under Title V of the IHCIA).

2. Review and Selection Process

The applications will be reviewed and scored by the IHS Scholarship Program's Application Review Committee appointed by the IHS. Reviewers will not be allowed to review an application from their Area or their own Tribe. Each application will be reviewed by three reviewers. The average score of the three reviews provides the final ranking score for each applicant. To determine the ranking of each applicant, these scores are sorted from the highest to the lowest within each scholarship health discipline by date of graduation and score. If several students have the same date of graduation and score within the same discipline, the computer will randomly sort the ranking list and will not sort by alphabetical name. Selections are then made from the top of each ranking list to the extent that funds allocated by the IHS among the three scholarships are available for obligation.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

It is anticipated that recipients applying for extension of their scholarship funding will be notified in writing during the first week of June 2015 and new applicants will be notified in writing during the first week of July 2015. An Award Letter will be issued to successful applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing, which will include a brief explanation of the reason(s) the application was not successful and provide the name of the IHS official to contact if more information is desired.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Regulations at 42 CFR 136.304 provide that the IHS shall, from time to time, publish a list of allied health professions eligible for consideration for the award of IHS Indian Health Professions Preparatory and Pre-graduate Scholarships and IHS Indian Health Professions Scholarships. Section 104(b)(1) of the IHCIA, 25 U.S.C. 1613a(b)(1), authorizes the IHS to determine the distribution of scholarships among the health professions.

Awards for the Indian Health Professions Scholarships will be made in accordance with 42 CFR 136.330-136.334. Awardees shall incur a service obligation prescribed under the IHCIA, Section 1613a(b), which shall be met by service, through full-time clinical practice:

(1) In the IHS;

(2) In a program conducted under a contract or compact entered into under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Pub. L. 93-638) and its amendments;

(3) In a program assisted under Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (Pub. L. 94-437) and its amendments; or

(4) In a private practice option of his or her profession if the practice (a) is situated in a health professional shortage area, designated in regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) and (b) addresses the health care needs of a substantial number (75% of the total served) of Indians as determined by the Secretary in accordance with guidelines of the Service.

Pursuant to the IHCIA Section 1613a(b)(3)(C), an awardee of an IHS Health Professions Scholarship may, at the election of the awardee, meet his/her service obligation prescribed under IHCIA Section 1613a(b) by a program specified in options (1)-(4) above that:

(i) Is located on the reservation of the Tribe in which the awardee is enrolled; or

(ii) Serves the Tribe in which the awardee is enrolled, if there is an open vacancy available in the discipline for which the awardee was funded under the IHS Health Professions Scholarship during the required 90-day placement period.

In summary, all awardees of the Indian Health Professions Scholarship are reminded that acceptance of this scholarship will result in a service obligation required by both statute and contract, which must be performed, through full-time clinical practice, at an approved service payback facility. The IHS Director (Director), reserves the right to make final decisions regarding assignment of scholarship recipients to fulfill their service obligation.

Moreover, the Director, has the authority to make the final determination, designating a facility, whether managed and operated by IHS, or one of its Tribal or Urban Indian partners, consistent with IHCIA, as approved for scholar obligated service payback.

3. Reporting

Scholarship Program Minimum Academic Requirements

It is the policy of the IHS that a scholarship awardee funded under the Indian Health Professions Scholarship Program of the IHCIA must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA, remain in good academic standing each semester/trimester/quarter, maintain full-time student status (Institutional definition of “minimum hours” constituting full-time enrollment applies) or part-time student status (Institutional definition of “minimum and maximum” hours constituting part-time enrollment applies) for the entire academic year, as indicated on the scholarship application submitted for that academic year. The Health Professions Scholarship awardee may not change his or her enrollment status between terms of enrollment during the same academic year. New recipients may not request a Leave of Absence during the first year of their funding. In addition to these requirements, a Health Professions Scholarship awardee must be enrolled in an approved/accredited school for a Health Professions degree.

An awardee of a scholarship under the IHS Health Professions Preparatory and Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship authority must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, remain in good standing each semester/trimester/quarter and be a full-time student (Institutional definition of “minimum hours” constituting full-time enrollment applies, typically 12 credit hours per semester) or a part-time student (Institutional definition of “minimum and maximum” hours constituting part-time enrollment applies, typically 6-11 credit hours). The Preparatory and Pre-graduate awardee may not change from part-time status to full-time status or vice versa in the same academic year. New recipients may not request a Leave of Absence during the first year of their funding.

The following reports must be sent to the IHSSP at the identified time frame. Each scholarship awardee will have Start Printed Page 76341access to an online Recipient Handbook and required program forms and instructions on when, how, and to whom these must be submitted, by logging into the IHSSP Web site at www.ihs.gov/​scholarship. If a scholarship awardee fails to submit these forms and reports as required, they will be ineligible for continuation of scholarship support and scholarship award payments will be discontinued.

A. Recipient's and Initial Progress Report

Within thirty (30) days from the beginning of each semester/trimester/quarter, scholarship awardees must submit a Recipient's Initial Program Progress Report (Form IHS-856-8, found on the IHS Scholarship Program Web site at www.ihs.gov/​scholarship).

B. Transcripts

Within thirty (30) days from the end of each academic period, i.e., semester/trimester/quarter, or summer session, scholarship awardees must submit an Official Transcript showing the results of the classes taken during that period.

C. Notification of Academic Problem

If at any time during the semester/trimester/quarter, scholarship awardees are advised to reduce the number of credit hours for which they are enrolled below the minimum of the 12 (or the number of hours considered by their school as full-time) for a full-time student or at least six hours for part-time students, or if they experience academic problems, they must submit this report (Form IHS-856-9, found on the IHS Scholarship Program Web site at www.ihs.gov/​scholarship).

D. Change of Status

Change of Academic Status

Scholarship awardees must immediately notify their Scholarship Program Analyst if they are placed on academic probation, dismissed from school, or voluntarily withdraw for any reason (personal or medical).

Change of Health Discipline

Scholarship awardees may not change from the approved IHSSP health discipline during the school year. If an unapproved change is made, scholarship payments will be discontinued.

Change in Graduation Date

Any time that a change occurs in a scholarship awardee's expected graduation date, they must notify their Scholarship Program Analyst immediately in writing. Justification must be attached from the school advisor.

VII. Agency Contacts

1. Questions on the application process may be directed to the appropriate IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator.

VIII. Other Information

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 2020, a PHS-led activity for setting priority areas. This program announcement is related to the priority area of Education and Community-Based Programs. Potential applicants may download a copy of Healthy People 2020 from http://www.healthypeople.gov.

Interested individuals are reminded that the list of eligible health and allied professions is effective for applicants for the 2015-2016 academic year. These priorities will remain in effect until superseded. Applicants who apply for health career categories not listed as priorities during the current scholarship cycle will not be considered for a scholarship award.